


Electronic Pets Aren't Just For Christmas

by ordinary_ineffability



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Arguments, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reallt the last two are mentioned more than anything, Sort of? - Freeform, Tamagotchi, classic monster films mentioned, hinted newmann, it turned from pure humour to a bit h/c, science dorks, sorry i have no idea how to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 16:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1654661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ordinary_ineffability/pseuds/ordinary_ineffability
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“You mean to tell me, that the pair of you have been causing a huge amount of unrest for other members of this Shatterdome, fighting because of a toy?” he repeated. Hermann nodded, shame written all over his features.</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wherein Tamagotchis are neglected, Newt is (totally not) pouting and Tendo plays the peacekeeper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Electronic Pets Aren't Just For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This came into being after a conversation between myself and Tumblr user rougeshome, which began with her comment of,
> 
> "Newton totally has a tamagotchi doesn't he"
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing the characters, so my apologies if they seem completely OOC here!

It was a Wednesday morning, and Hermann entered the lab quickly, mind already a whirlwind of abstract mathematics as he approached his side of the lab. To his relief, his lab partner hadn’t arrived yet, and so the lab was blissfully quiet as he transferred more information onto his blackboards. It had been a while since Hermann had been able to work in relative silence, and he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be left with only the hushed movement of chalk against the board and the distant sounds of life elsewhere in the Shatterdome.

The quiet was eventually ruined – as it always was – at sometime around 11, when a flurry of colour and movement rushed into the lab with a cacophony of noise. With a resigned sigh, Hermann paused his work in order to see what his manic lab partner was raving about that morning.

“I can’t believe I found one! Dude, Herms, have you any idea how hard it is to find these things?” Newt was saying, a huge grin on his face and arms waving around in multi-coloured circles.  Something was clutched in one of his hands.

“For the last time, it’s Dr Gottlieb, Hermann if you truly must. And what on earth are you talking about? What is that thing?” he replied, scowl settling on his face once again.

Newt gaped. “What do you mean, ‘what is that thing’? _Look at it_! Surely you’ve seen one of them before, right?” With that, he crossed the line – ignoring Hermann’s squawks of protest – and shoved the item in his hand to Hermann’s face.

Taking a step back, the mathematician eyed the contraption warily, noting its pastel pink colour and trying to remember what it was. “Isn’t that one of those children’s toys?” He asked, a disdainful note to his voice.

Newt glared. “Hey, don’t be ageist! It’s a Tamagotchi, Herms, and anyone can play with it!” he huffed. “Seeing as we’re not allowed pets in the lab, I kinda wanted to find one of these things, and I managed to on a trip out to Hong Kong itself this morning. I kinda wanted the blue one, but beggars can’t be choosers, right?” With that, he hopped back over to the line before throwing himself down onto the battered sofa that they shared.

Shaking his head, Hermann chalked it up to yet another one of Dr Geiszler’s eccentricities and continued where he left off. At least it was quiet.

___

Over the next few weeks, it quickly became apparent that Newton was categorically useless at caring for his electronic pet. The issue was that, no matter how much he enjoyed playing with it, he was easily distracted by things and would forget all about it for hours whilst he worked on a new dissection. By the time he'd eventually remember, the Tamagotchi would be dying, if not already dead.

The issues began when Hermann discovered that another prime way to make Newt neglect his 'pet' was by arguing with him. This knowledge, combined with how oddly invested Newton was with the wellbeing of the thing, ended up starting one of the longest-running fights between the two scientists.

Whenever Newt was being too loud or too messy, Hermann would casually start an argument that would bring the other scientist to leaving his toy on his desk or somewhere similar in order to pay attention to their fight. Of course, once the fight was over Newt would remember his Tamagotchi, but due to how long their fights would often go on for, added to the time it took for him to recall playing with it, the creature had often died and he'd need to start once more.

Of course, once Newt caught on - and of course he did, the man had 6 doctorates to his name, he was going to eventually - he decided to play up further in retaliation. The worse Newt became, the more arguments and distractions Hermann would cause - and the more Newt had to restart, the worse he became.

The ever-growing war between them continued for well over a month, and one day it simply went too far.

\---

Stacker could hear the screaming - a strange tangle of English and German - from the opposite end of the corridor leading to the labs. Wincing at the volume, he prepared himself before going in. There had been rising complaints from those who had to work or sleep near the lab over the past 2 weeks - although used to the two scientists and their arguments, most had felt that this was far worse than normal. As the last thing anyone needed was people's work and sleep to be impacted by something so ridiculous during a war, the marshal had come to the realisation that he needed to end this battle quickly.

He entered the lab to the sight of the pair standing on their respective sides of the lab, very close to the taped boundary. Dr Geiszler was alternating between waving his arms around as he spoke - screeched, really - and shoving away Dr Gottlieb's cane, which the other man kept jabbing towards him.

Stacker cleared his throat. "Gentlemen." he tried, hoping to cut through the screaming match.

 He was unsuccessful as Newt continued to yell. "I mean, damn it, Herms, that's the third time this week. This week! Will you get that stupid fucking stick out of my face, old man? Three times you've made me restart! Fuck you, man!"

"Shouldn't you have more focus on your work, Dr Geiszler? Unless-"

"It's Newt, you douchecanoe!"

"And it's Dr Gottlieb for me! Unless you've found yourself completely unaware, our planet is under attack-"

"I'm completely aware, but at least my work is doing something concrete and helpful! I'm not just making a countdown for everyone's-"

" **Gentlemen, that is enough!** " Stacker boomed, internally smirking as the two startled, turning wide eyes in his direction. However, he kept his expression stern.

Herman placed the end of his cane firmly on the floor, attempting to straighten up. His normally pale cheeks had turned pink. "Marshal Pentecost, sir, my sincerest apologies." he murmured, glancing away at the floor.

Geiszler scoffed, muttering a quick "Suck-up." under his breath. Before the other scientist could retaliate again, Stacker spoke.

"What in God's name has had you two at each others necks so often recently?" he asked, giving both doctors firm looks.

After a pause, Doctor Gottlieb cleared his throat. "It's - primarily - about a... A toy, sir. Dr Geiszler has a toy that he's been playing with, and has been losing his temper when he forgets about it and the 'pet' dies. Sir." his cheeks had grown steadily through his reply from a light pink to a dark red. Upon hearing the reason, Stacker wasn't surprised.

“You mean to tell me, that the pair of you have been causing a huge amount of unrest for other members of this Shatterdome, fighting because of a toy?” he repeated. Hermann nodded, shame written all over his features. Newt smirked at the other scientist’s discomfort, but it was quickly wiped off of his face with the next words. “Dr Geiszler, pass me the toy in question.”

“But-“

“That was an order, not a request.” Stacker interrupted. Looking concerned, Dr Geiszler cautiously handed over the toy. Upon inspection, the Marshall found it to be one of the electronic pet devices. He vaguely remembered Mako playing with something similar when she had been younger. She’d often been seen around whichever ‘dome they were settled at, small game in hand and an even smaller smile on her face.

Shaking his head slightly to focus back on the present, Stacker found both scientists looking at him with different levels of shame and curiosity. “Right, there’s only one way I can settle this. Dr Geiszler, this toy is being confiscated. You are both to return immediately to work, and there will be no more additions to the usual noise levels of this lab. Is that understood?”

Dr Gottlieb nodded, still highly embarrassed. Dr Geiszler also nodded – but reluctantly, and combined with a glare aimed at his colleague.

That, Stacker hoped as he left the floor, was hopefully going to be that.

\---

It wasn’t, of course. Certainly, the fights had been fewer recently, but what had replaced them was almost as bad. Hermann had been thoroughly mortified by what had happened. It didn’t help when, two days later, he had entered the canteen only for one of the technicians to ask whether it was true that he’d been told off for a toy. Shatterdome rumours spread like wildfire, and within a week everyone in the building knew of exactly what had happened, whether the true version or the various exaggerations going around. All of this brought Hermann to new levels of shame, which didn’t help when combined with his lab partner’s response.

Newt was, as anyone could tell, pissed off beyond belief. This transpired to him being more crabby with everyone around him, and especially in him glaring at Hermann at any opportunity. Every once in a while, he’d add a jab towards the other scientist just to bring it all to the forefront of conversation again.

For the first couple of weeks, people found it hilarious. Staff members frequently brought it all up again, just to see Hermann stutter slightly and get all flustered – a rare look for the mathematician – whilst Newt continued to glower at the other in the background.

After the novelty of it wore off, the other members of the Shatterdome felt somewhat bored of it all, and soon got distracted by the rumour that one of the Wei Tang triplets had tried to hit on Mako.

The only ones still properly paying attention were Mako herself, Marshal Pentecost, and Tendo. Of the three of them, it was Tendo who decided to try and step in once the end of week four struck. Grabbing his lunch, he sauntered across to where Newt was sitting (still glaring/pouting on and off at Hermann who was, for once, sat at another table entirely. The pair were normally inseparable around meal times) and grabbing the chair across from him. “Mind if I join you, brother?” he asked, getting a shrug as a response.  Once he was sat, Tendo spent a minute eating before clearing his throat and speaking up. “So, want to tell me why you’re pretty much pouting in Hermann’s direction?” he asked.

Newt blinked, before scowling at the LOCCENT officer. “I’m not pouting at him, I’m glaring. With anger.” He stated. Unbeknownst to the scientist, his mouth had already started to go back to pouting as he was finishing his response. When Tendo pointed it out, Newt just pouted harder. “I’m totally not pouting, dude, rock stars don’t pout!”

Tendo snorted, shaking his head slightly as he finished the mouthful of food he’d eaten. “Whatever you say...” he murmured, smirking slightly as Newt flicked a bean at him in protest. After a pause, Newt smirked back.

“So, how’re things going with Alison?” the scientist asked, changing the subject around so it was his turn to tease as Choi reddened slightly.

____

A week later, and things hadn’t improved. If anything, they’d become worse. Although not the main focus any more, plenty of people around the ‘Dome were teasing the pair of scientists over the Tamagotchi incident. By the start of week six, the shame had become too much for Hermann to bear any longer, and so there came a day where nobody saw the mathematician in the canteen all day. He didn’t show up for the next two days, either, and by lunchtime of day four Tendo was officially concerned. It was only through knowing a few officers with rooms near the lab that he knew Hermann was still around.

By day six, he had successfully cornered the other man as he was making tea at three in the morning, and asked what was going on. From that conversation, he discovered that, rather than face the potential scorn of the rest of the staff, and to avoid his colleague as much as possible, Hermann had taken to buying food from the local markets and eating in his room instead. “It’s highly unprofessional, Mr Choi, and I’d rather wait it out in the solace of my own room then repeatedly have my professional appearance ruined due to embarrassment. That, and...” Hermann trailed off, looking away from the officer.

“And what? C’mon, brother, spill. Dr Gottlieb.” Tendo asked, adding the formality at the end in order to potentially win the mathematician over.

With a resigned sigh, Hermann finished. “That and Dr Geiszler’s reactions are... disheartening. I will not kid myself into believing that we are firm friends, but his continued silence and short temper with me is... hurtful. We have worked together in a lab for years, known each other far longer, but for all the fights we’ve had this is the first time that he shows no signs of moving on.” He admitted, refusing to meet Tendo’s eyes as they widened in shock.

Without pausing, Hermann continued, rambling slightly in his embarrassment. “I am aware that he was fond of the toy, but I don’t understand what was so important about it that, even six weeks on, he cannot let the matter drop. He said that they were hard to come by, but so are DVDs of the classic monster films that he adores so much, and his anger only lasted a week when I accidentally shattered one of them with my cane a year ago. Why is this different?”

After giving himself enough time to formulate a response, Tendo spoke up. “I’m not sure why, but I can find out.” With that, he vanished off, leaving a bewildered Hermann in his wake.

____

“So,” Tendo began as he sat next to Newt for breakfast the next morning, “Can I ask a question about the Tamagotchi thing?” Newt’s only response was a pointed look and a shrug. “Alright, I’ll take that as a yes. Want to explain what the big deal was about with the thing? I kinda want to understand what’s happening, and Hermann apparently doesn’t  know enough to explain.”

“It’s just – OK, I know this sounds dumb, and you’d better remember this because I rarely admit that something sounds dumb, OK, dude? – but it’s just that, for all the ways in which my parents were liberal and of the whole ‘do as you please’ mindset, there was one area where they put their feet down. I wasn’t allowed any pets. My mom had allergies, and with her career she couldn’t risk potentially having an allergic reaction before the opening of one of her tours. So eventually, I managed to get the closest thing I was allowed to a pet – for my birthday I was given a Tamagotchi. A blue, new edition one. And I loved it! It became one of my favourite toys aside from my lab kit and my toy dinosaurs. But one day, there was an accident. I tripped over, it went flying and somehow managed to knock one of mom’s delicate glass vases over. As punishment for breaking her vase, accident or not, my Tamagotchi was thrown away and I was forbidden from getting another. I was devastated by it... I’d become really attached to my ‘pet’, just to lose it. So as soon as we headed over here, to the Hong Kong ‘Dome, I decided to try and find another one. Months later, I finally did! Which was great, but then I forgot about it because come on, science, man! And... You know the rest.”

There was a minute of silence before Tendo spoke. “That... makes sense, brother. I’m sorry. Did you try explaining that to Hermann?”

Newt scoffed. “What, as if that old man would care. He’d probably go on about me being a child still, and how it’s ridiculous to form an attachment to an electronic creature.” He spat, before taking a sip of his coffee.

“I think he’d apologise.” Tendo stated. Newt choked.

“Hermann? Mr Grumpy ‘belongs-in-a-nineteenth-century-book’ Gottlieb, would apologise? Not gonna happen.” The scientist replied, after recovering from his coughing fit.

“Have you tried? I mean, he seems pretty down about all of this. You must have noticed?” the officer continued to push. The problem was, Newt had noticed. He wished he hadn’t, of course, because if he hadn’t then he wouldn’t have to acknowledge the fact that he had, sort of, missed his colleague and their usual bickering matches too.

“Sure, he’s been quieter, I guess...” Hermann had been a lot more than simply ‘quieter’. The other man had barely spoken a word throughout their days in the lab, only speaking occasionally to quietly ask if Newt wanted a coffee. Attempts at conversation that had started becoming rarer as Newt’s reply, if there was even any acknowledgment, was usually short and rude. The look Tendo was shooting him spoke volumes as to how unconvincing his blasé attitude on the situation was.

Newt sighed. “I’ll think about it.” He muttered, before finishing his breakfast and leaving.

____

Three days later, Newt arrived in the lab to see a parcel on his desk. With how cluttered the thing was, it was borderline miraculous that he’d spotted the parcel in the first place. But spotted it he had, and he quickly grabbed it before collapsing onto the battered sofa in order to open it. Absently, he noted that his lab partner was, for once, missing. The reason was explained as he finished unwrapping the box.

Lying inside, on top of an old DVD copy of _‘Attack of the Crab Monsters’_ , was a Tamagotchi. A _blue_ Tamagotchi, at that. With wide eyes, Newt grabbed the note that was resting underneath the DVD.

 

_‘ ~~Dr Geiszler~~ Newton,_

_Mr Choi explained the reasoning behind your attachment to the toy. I wish to apologise, and hope that this gift somewhat makes amends for my misdemeanour. The DVD was to be your birthday present, but I felt I should add it to the gift now instead._

_I apologise once again._

_-Dr Hermann’_

 

Newt didn’t know where to begin on his list of things that had stunned him. That Hermann was apologising was a start, but the list was pretty extensive. That Hermann had found a replacement Tamagotchi? That Hermann had remembered that he wanted a blue one? That he’d also been given a DVD that he’d been wanting for a while, since his last one was damaged in a move?

All in all, it took Newt a good few minutes to get over his shock. Once he’d finally done so, he quickly turned on the Tamagotchi, grinning as it came to life.

An hour after the gift had been discovered, Newt glanced up in time to see Hermann quietly entering the lab and making a beeline for his blackboards. Turning off the toy for a while, he watched the mathematician diligently begin to write out some complex equation or other, as if it were an ordinary day. It was a shame that the blush reddening the tips of his ears gave him away. Then again, it was also sort of adorable.

Deciding to give Hermann a break for the time being, the other scientist placed his gift gingerly on a clear-ish section of his desk and pulled up one of the samples he’d recently received and had been wanting to dissect to test a theory.

They worked in silence for a good few hours, until lunchtime rolled around. Placing his equipment to one side and clearing up slightly – he’d need to continue later – Newt headed out towards the canteen. After the gift and everything, he’d expected his lab partner to start frequenting the canteen like everyone else again, but to his surprise the other still hadn’t appeared by the time he was finishing up. Slightly concerned, Newt grabbed a few pieces of fruit on the way out and headed to the lab, wondering whether the other doctor had simply forgotten about lunchtime. It wouldn’t have been the first time that such a thing had happened.

However, upon entering the lab again he realised that Hermann was nowhere in sight. In fact, the mathematician arrived back five minutes later, still chewing on a baby carrot. He stilled when he realised that Newt had seen him, before once again pretending to get on with his work like normal. This time, however, Newt wasn’t willing to let the silence and awkwardness last.

“So,” Newt began faux-casually, pretending to be invested in his dissection, “Have you ever seen _‘Attack of the Crab Monsters’_? Because if not, man, you’re missing out.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermann flinch, startled.

“I... No, I haven’t, Dr – Newton.” Came the hesitant reply. Newt smiled.

“Well then, Hermann, may I ask a few questions?”

“Of course.”

“Are you free tomorrow night?”

“... Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Are you adverse to popcorn and awful special effects?”

“Not at all.”

“Then... Would you like to join me for a movie tomorrow evening? Snacks will be my treat.” At that he looked up, just in time to see a small, shy smile appear on his lab partner’s face.

Relaxing as Newt broke into a wild grin, Hermann responded. “I would love to.” Then, just to make things appear more normal, he added a quip. “Just try not to bring too much sugar, you don’t want those tattoos stretching.”

“Hey!” came the indignant squawk from across the room, but the effect of the barbs was ruined by the fact that both of them were still smiling.

___

After that, a routine was developed. Newt would still forget to look after his Tamagotchi from time to time, but it happened less often as Hermann took to reminding his lab partner about the neglected toy. The creature only died every month or so rather than the weekly restarts that had happened before. It became a routine of sorts – Newt would play, forget, be reminded, and play again.

And although arguments were still had between the two – they were Drs Geizsler and Gottlieb, arguing was a part of their daily lives – not once did Hermann start one with deliberately distracting Newt again.


End file.
